Aylwin’s Diary part 15: Politics & Silver Horseshoes

In The Doom that Came to Amber

3^rd Snake 3658 – noon

Of my 12 messengers only 6 return within before lunch, two are reported dead, one has gone straight to the Mirans. Most of the militia are in hiding or supporting one side or the other, the few who are still working for the City are with the Aldermen trying to keep some sort of order. Only a dozen have reported to the palace.

Over lunch Flora quizzes me about the situation in the city. Apart from the nobles retinues we have only about 1000 troops to call on, but there are several thousand marines at the Naval Dockyard [this was before Bathsheba and Peter had visited the docks and found only 200]. The docks are also vital because that is where most of the food enters the city. By tomorrow there are going to be shortages and that will mean a whole raft of problems. We need to control the docks and make it safe for the food ships to come in.

Bathsheba asks me to try and save the life of Danesh, who has taken a blow to the head. It had not seemed too bad but seems to have got worse. I go and examine him; fluid must be building up, this means it has to be a trepanning operation. He will die if I don't act quickly, he may well die anyway.

I open the side of Danesh's skull, drain the fluid but there is still bleeding between the lobes of the brain. I have bought him time but his only real hope is to trumped out to Bleys and a sophisticated operating theatre.

I visit Julian, who is at last conscious. He most concerned about me carrying the Jewel of Judgement around with me, though he agrees that I could not just leave it lying around. He warns me that it is dangerous, especially if you are unattuned. He puts the Jewel in the safe.

Whilst he eats a huge meal, I update Julian on the night's events. Messengers are dispatched to tell all those people who need to know that he is back in charge. He shows concern about Danesh but says that Bleys will not take him, which amounts to a death sentence for a damn useful man. He is also very concerned about the state of my ankle – as well as the swelling and inflammation, when the curtains are closed it glows green it the dark. He suggests that if there is any sign of this spreading I will have to lose my leg below the knee.

Julian was right, Bleys would not take Danesh through the Trump.

Asmark joins Julian, Flora and me for dinner. Bathsheba and Peter are down at the docks. We discuss how we might control the Unicorn, and how the hell we could set about shoeing her. The meal is disrupted when Llewella and Gerard arrive, they are fleeing the riots in Rebma, inevitable perhaps but there the place has fallen. Martin has apparently been taking advantage of Amber's distraction to “mess with things he should not”.

I check my Trumps; they obviously work, it is just that I can't use them.